of their ability to reason and the culture of greece at the time, they had to infuse mosaic law to uphold their rationale. were teased by other greeks who said, you got that from moses. as civilization is progressing, the law was handed down, it the greekom civilization, and they are talking about the foundation of western civilization. roman law was emerging as well. i take you to the time of christ. o the time of christ. he talked about the values of repentens and redemption that didn't exist in the form before then and that has gifted us. i talk about the importance of

the law. think about mosaic law coming down, being infused within the reeks, transferred also to the romans, roman law ruled over the world. as you remember, the high priest said to jesus, did you really say those things? did you really preach those things? and jesus said to the high priest as the jews were watching, ask them. they were there. they can tell you. that was, mr. speaker, the assertion by jesus that he had a right to face his accusers. that principle remains today in our law that we have a right to face our accusers. and when he said ask them, they were there, they can tell you, he's facing his accusers and demanding they testify against him rather than make allegations behind his back. and what happened when jesus said that, they believed and

the high priest believed that jesus' answer was inns atlanta and the guard -- insulant and the guard struck jesus. if i speak wrongly you must prove the wrong. if i speak rightly, why do you punish me? he asserted his right to be innocent until proven guilty before a roman court. those two principles remain today in our law, a right to face your accuser, innocent until profpble guilty, you face that -- proven guilty, you face that jury of your peer. you need a quick and speedy trial. they didn't have that then. the punishment came quickly whether right or wrong. this foundation of law was wrapped up in roman law and spread across western europe as they occupied germany, england, today, on into ireland. and when the dark ages came, sacked in 410

a.d., we saw civilization tumble and crumble and we saw the heathens break down anything that represented the old culture. anything that represented real civilization. and while that was going on, they were tearing buildings into rubble, they were burning anything that was written documents. while that was going on, the priests and let me say the descendents of the disciples of christ began to gather up any paper and documents they could get their hands on. some went to rome to be secured and replicated by the monks and the scribes there. a lot went to ireland, an island off of ireland where the mornings and the scribes rep -- monks and the scribes replicated those documents there. that was the part of the relearning of a civilization, a civilization that lived for centuries, having lost the ability to reason. that age of reason that they were so proud of in the time of plato and rates,

astopple, didn't leave a record of rationale and didn't develop technology, science or thought. and at a certain time this information that was preserved in the documents of the classics, both biblical and religious information and any information that the monks and scribes got their hands on, they analyzed it and studied it and they took a continent and taught that continent how to think. as the church emerged from rome and from st. patrick's side of this thing out of ireland, they built monasteries across the continent and began to educate the information they preserved primarily from the roman but also the greek era and they re-educated an entire civilization and re-created a civilization based on judeo-christian values, the age

of reason, and that reason that tied the values of faith together with the values that will allow for science to be developed. and that brings us to that year. let's say the years as emerging from the middle ages and martin luther then step onto the scene in the 16th century and brought us on top of that the reformation period where he made the point that cast across the globe that you can honor god in a lot of ways but you can do so. a mother changing a baby's than honors god more 1,000 wrote prayers that you don't give meaning from your heart into. so the protestant work ethic got added to the values together and the competition between the protestant and the catholic church within christianity ended up -- it was rough and it was brutal but the effect on our civilization and society has been good because the competition that drove from that made us all better. and each religion drew from the

other. by the way, the eastern church was separated when the turks sacked constantinople and so the eastern orthodox and western orthodox -- we're tied together culturally, historically, we're tied together by our common humanity and belief in -- and this is a belief. mponent -- as we emerge into the -- well, as we had emerged into the age of discovery, meaning christopher columbus and the explorers that came over here to the western hemisphere, that component as well as a little bit later the dawn of the industrial revolution. think about where we are here in america. we're the recipients of some of the wisest, most analytical people that the world has ever produced, our founding fathers, they are a product of a culture and civilization that believed in adam smith's free enterprise

and the rights to property and they believed they were free men, that they were free. in fact, me said so in the declaration of independence when jefferson wrote in the declaration a prince who exhibits the characteristics of a tyrant is unfit to be a ruler of a free people. a free people. they saw themselves as a free people before the declaration. they didn't become necessarily free people as a product of, although they certainly had to earn it. they declared their freedom from england, but they saw themselves as free people before they issued the declaration of independence. but that brings us now to july 4, 1776. brought this history around for -- a couple thousand years or a little bit more. more than 2,000 years. and on this continent now we have the wisdom of the founding fathers. i believe they were inspired by god and that it was by divine guidance that the declaration

was written. it arrived freedom of speech, religion, the press and assembly, the right to keep and bear arms, the judicial side of it, the property rights in the fifth amendment, the power down to the people or the states. all of this landed on a continent with unlimited natural resources so we believed at the time. all of these rights, free enterprise, strong judeo-christian values, the reason people came here, limited resources, the concept of manifest destiny, now, who could create a giant petri dish that's so robust that it could settle a continent in the blink of an historical eye and leave the foundation for the growth of population and the image and the inspiration of faith and freedom, who could do that? not man. . but the entity that shaped their movements and their thoughts. so here we are the recipients,

god given liberty, defined in the declaration, should be inarguable, shouldn't be challengeable. i think it is. we are a nation that cannot be reverse engineered and come up with a better result. we are a nation that has components of american exceptionalism, pillar after pillar of american exceptionalism, none of which can we pull out from underneath the edifice of this shining city on the hill and expect it would not collapse. yes, it would. what is our charge here? it's not as hard as the charge of our founding fathers. it's not as hard as those that picked up their muskets and marched into the red coats' muskets in the revolution. it's not as hard as the blue and the gray that clashed all over the battlefields here in this country and put an end to slavery and reunified this country. it's not as hard as the doe boy that is marched off to -- doughboys that marched off to

war. it's not as hard as the 16 million americans who put on uniforms to defend our country in the second world war. it's not as hard for us as the 450,000 who gave their lives during that war. it's not as hard, either, as those who marched off to korea and honored down here at their memorial. the memorial that says on the slab in front of them, our nation honors the men and women who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met. none of what we are charged with right now is that hard. and yet some despair and some think that we can create this new america that is not tied to the pillars of american exceptionalism. can sacrifice some of those principles and we'll still be a country ok because we have some political pressure that says we should sacrifice this principle or choose some pieces out of this marble pillar of american exceptionalism. imagine what it would be like. what if this congress, and this

culture which directs this congress, what if we decided, you're going to have limited speech, certain things you can't say, and we'll give you the list of words you can't utter because if you do that, you are going to be violating somebody's sense of political correctness. what if we said you can assemble but we are going to diminish your right to assemble because sometimes we disagree with what comes out of those meetings? the greeks did that. they had meetings in their city states and they would -- remember the greek blackball system that they had. the demagogues would emerge. people that could step up before the masses in greece and the city states and issue a speech that was rhetoricically so inspiring that the greeks marched off in what turned out to be the wrong direction. what would they do? they would label them a demagogue, bring them before the city state and then they would excoriate him and then they would have a vote. and it's like the greek system

today. two gords, two marbles, one black, one red, they called them balls, of course. as each of the greeks walked through they would have -- i said red, white and black, they would drop their voting ball in one gord and drop their disard ball in another gord. if the demagogue got three blackballs he was banished from seven years. that's how they muzzled the people that led them in the wrong direction with emotional rhetoric. but can you imagine if we did that? if america would banish people for giving terlands a speech that was disagreed with by three people, that's all it took, three, they were restrained because they didn't want to be the next one banished, but that was the system. we are not going to limit freedom of speech in this country. we are not going to limit freedom of assembly. we are not going to say you can't get together and talk about these things because we know that an open public

discourse and dialogue, what emerges from that are, we believe in this reason that we have inherited from the greeks an other civilizations, that what will emerge is the most logical rational policy. that's what i'm advocating for, mr. speaker. i want the most logical, rational policy. and i think we need a policy that's right for america. i have an obligation to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the united states and represent my constituents and represent my state and represent my country. and all of those things should be compatible with each other, and i believe they are. and i have not found myself in a conflict here between them. so i suggest that we have open dialogue, we have open debate. i challenge this civilization to be reasonable, have reason, be analytical, be a critical thinker. we send our kids off to school and sometimes they are just

taught a mantra, but they are not taught to take ideas apart and understand the components of them and put them back together. i have just taken america apart and described some of its essential components, history apart, and put it back together, mr. speaker, and hopefully informed this body of some of the principle reasons why america is such a great nation. we are a great nation because we have god-given liberty. we would not be a great nation if we didn't exercise those god-given liberties. if we don't have access to those rights, if we don't put our positions out there in front of the public and challenge the people in this country to analyze those alternatives, what if we went down one path? what if some leader from on high, let's just say king george, not prince george, what if we decided to go down this path and no one shall discuss anything outside this line i described for you. what kind of a country would we be?

would we believe that one mortal individual can chart a path for this country superior to the collective wisdom of 316 million people? i don't think so, mr. speaker. i don't think thinking americans will, either. but i know that this country's full of emotionalism, and as i watched their reactions to the george zimmerman trial and verdict, i saw a lot of people who simply denied the facts that had been proven in law. and seemed to be incapable of considering anything that didn't concur with their conclusion that they had drawn before they saw the facts. now, i engage in this debate. i challenge people to debate with me because i believe one of two things. if i can't sustain myself in debate i need to get more information. i need to get better informed, or could it be that i'm wrong? only two alternatives can come from not being able to sustain yourself in a debate. i'll go back and get all the information i can get, but i'll also reconsider. and anybody should. that's why i challenge people to debate. i'll take it up, and we'll see

who can stains themselves. we may not get this resolved in one discussion. in fact, in this congress it's been a very rare thing over the 10-plus years i have been here to see anybody stand up and admit, i was was wrong. what you said changes my position. what i learned changes my position. no, there are too many egos involved in this congress for that to happen off. it will have a little bit privately. it will happen incrementally, it doesn't happen publicly unless there is leverage brought to bear. here's my point, mr. speaker, and that is this. our southern border is porous. it's not as porous as it was seven or eight years ago. mainly because the economy has grown in mexico at about twice the rate that it's grown in the united states over the last 4 1/2 or five years. pressure ve as much on our border, but i can tell you this. 80% to 90% of the illegal drugs consumed in america come from or through mexico. i can tell you that in mexico

they are recruiting kids to be drug smugglers. between the ages of 11 and 18 they have arrested and i believe incarcerated and the number of convictions that actual -- that actually may be the number of convictions, it's at least this, over 800 per year over the last couple years at that ratio of those who are kids who are smuggling drugs into the united states. we pick up some on our side of the border, that adds to that number. the ones we catch. many get away. every night some come across the border smuggling drugs across the border. increasingly the higher value drugs, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine in some form or another, are being strapped to the body sometimes of young girls, teenage girls. the media is replete with this. anybody that reads the paper should know, especially those that live on the border, should know that there are many, many young people coming across the border unlawfully who are smuggling drugs into the united

states. they should also know that now the drug cartels, and i mean specifically the mexican drug cartels, have taken over drug distribution and most of the major cities in america, i think intel will tell you every major city in america, and the numbers that i have seen go there a little over 200 cities in the country to 2000. i don't know what population that dials it down to. i haven't seen the map. it should be appalling to a country and civilization to see that's taking place. when you understand that according to the drug enforcement agency of every chain of illegal drug distribution we have in the country, they will tell you at least privately as they have to me on multiple occasions, at least one link are illegal aliens smuggling drugs into the united states. it's important that we know that will as a congress, as a country, as a civilization. if we deny those facts, if we deny the information that comes obama t of the

administration that certainly supports those, if you deny the information that comes out through the major media that's there, if you deny what we are told by our law enforcement officers on the border of the united states that are continually interdicting drugs at about the same rate they did sews six or seven, eight years ago when the population of illegal was flowing over the border at a faster rate than today, the illegal drugs come across the border roughly similar to that time. that said, there is still high demand in the united states. high demant means drugs are likely to come in. if we are enforcing our borders and tightening down security, the price of drugs should go up. if you look at the price of drugs, i think you are going to find we haven't been very effective in interdicting drugs coming across our southern border. part of that is because they find new ways to smuggle and some are because kids are being used to smuggle drugs into the united states. that's appalling to me. the depth across the arizona border, it's still there. this debate taking place now in the middle of the summer is going to end up with more people being found out there own the

desert in the brush who have lost their lives trying to get into the united states of america. we need a secure border. we need to build a fence, wall, two r sense so we have patrolling zones. we need to use our boots on the ground in the most effective way possible. no nation should have an open borders policy, no nation should have a blind eye policy towards the enforcement of the laws. no nation can long remember -- remain a great nation if they decide to sacrifice the rule of law on the altar of political expediency. no nation like the united states ever america can tain to grow and be a vo -- can continue to grow and be a strong nation if we are going to judge people because they disagree with our agenda rather than the content of their statement. we have to be critical thinkers. we have to be analytical. we should understand facts from emotion. let's pull together, let's understand that we do have

compassion. we do have compassion for every human person deserves dignity. we need to treat them with warmth, that love as the american people always have, korean war veterans did when they gave themselves for a country they never knew and a people they never met, but we must not sacrifice the rule of law on the altar of political expediency. with that, 2:00eve king from about p.m. eastern as the house wrapped up for the week. about an hour ago, the durban spoke about immigration and the so-called dreamers. you responded to steve king's remarks, calling them mean and hateful. this is about 15 minutes.

the issue ofto immigration >> debating immigration in congress, and when i read this book on the history of immigration itself, i came up with some interesting quotes." since 1924, albert johnson, the republican from washington state, is chairing the house committee on immigration. this is what he said -- "today, instead of a well-knit home jean us -- homogenous citizenry, we have a body public made upf diverse elements. today descendants from free men bred to the knowledge of freedom and practice of self-government under the law, we have a population no small proportion of which is sprung from races that throughout the centuries have known no liberty at all. in other words, congressman johnson said, our capacity to maintain our cherished institutions stands diluted by a

stream of alien blood with all its inherited misconceptions, respecting the relationships of the governing power to the governed. it is no wonder, congressman johnson said, therefore, that the myth of the melting pot has been discredited. the united states is our land, he said. we intend to maintain it so. the day of unalloyed welcomes to all people, indiscriminate acceptance of all races has definitely ended." end of quote. that was a statement made by a member of congress in 1924 and you read it today and you think to yourself how could anyone possibly be talking about racial purity in the united states of america as he did. it just draws so many terrifying parallels to a debate which happened not many years later in europe over racial purity. but it happened. and it happened in the united states congress. and sadly, that wasn't the end

of hatred toward immigration in the united states congress. mr. president, 12 years ago i introduced a bill called the dream act. the dream act was a response to a constituent case in my office. a young woman, a korean woman, in chicago called our office. she had a story to tell. she said that she had brought her daughter at the age of 2 from korea to the united states, to chicago on a visitor's visa. along with her husband. and they envisioned that her husband would open a church, and they looked forward to that day and it never happened. and her husband continued to pray for that miracle for their family, but the mother said i had to go to work. the mother went to work in a dry cleaning establishment in chicago, and if you've been to that wonderful city you know the majority of dry cleaning establishments of run by korean families, hardworking people who work 12 hours a day and don't think twice about doing

it. this woman went to work but she wasn't making much money. and her little girl as well as the girl's brother and sister grew up in deepest poverty. the little girl tells the story that she used to go to school, the to middle school a high school and wait till the end of the lunch hour when students were throwing away part of the lunch they didn't eat and she'd dig through the waste basket to find food. that's how poor they werp. but something came alo that made all the difference in the world. in chicago we have the merit music program. a woman decided 10 or 15 years ago to leave some money and she said use this money to provide musical instruments to children, poor children in public schools as well as the lessons they need so they can play the instruments. the merit music program is an amazing success, 100% of the students who are enrolled in that merit music program go to college. 100%. this little girl, this korean

immigrant girl, was brought into the program and introduced at the age of 12 to a piano for the first time. she fell in love with the piano. and she started working and practicing on it. she'd stay at the merit music program headquarters late into the night. they gave her a key because it was warm and she wanted to practice her piano. she became such an accomplished pianist by the time she was in high school she was accepted to to the juilliard school of music and manhattan conservatory of music. amazing for this poor korean girl. when she applied filling out the application she came to the line that said nationality and citizenship and she turned to her mother and said what do i put? her mom said we brought you here at the age of 2 and never filed any papers. mom said let's call senator durbin. so they called our office and we dhekd chekd on the law and the law in the united states is very clear and very cruel. the law in the united states said that literal lil girl had

to leave this country for 10 years and apply to come back. ten years. she had brought here at the age of 2. she was only 17 or 18 at the time. that's when i decided to introduce the dream act and the dream act said if you were brought here as a child to the united states, if you complete high school, if you have no criminal record of any concern and you're prepared to either enlist in our military or finish at least two years of college, we'll put you on a path to becoming a citizens of the united states of america. that was the dream act. introduced 12 years ago, called on the floor many different times for passage. it finally passed just a few weeks ago as part of comprehensive immigration reform. i might tell you the end of the story about this young girl. she didn't qualify for any financial assistanc because she was undocumented. two families in chicago, one woman who is an amazing friend of mine named joan harris said

they'd pay for her education. swheept to the meantd conservatory of mic, she excelled in the piano, she played in carnegie hall, she married an american jazz musician and became a citizen of the united states and now she is working on her ph.d. in mus. she just sent me her tape for her ph.d. and she is amazing. teresa lee is her name. she is the first dreamer. it's because of her i come to the floor today. you see, mr. president, just yesterday it was disclosed that a member of the house of representatives, congressman stephen king of iowa, spoke to the issue of the dreamers. i don't know how many dreamers, students who would qualify for e dream act, that congressman king has met. i have met hundreds of them. they are amazing. incredible. living their entire life in the united states undocumented, fearing deportation any minute of any d, wondering will bring.

the gentleman up in the classrooms of america and pledging allegiance to the only flag they have ever known, singing the only national anthem they know and being told by so many people don't belong here, you're not part of this country. they are completely conflicted and worried and uncertainty about their future. and they are nothing short of amazing. these young people have done things with their lives which just are incredible. mesh the valedictorians of their classes in many case perks gone on to college and paid for it out of their pocket in many cases. i've come to the floor on 54 different occasions with color photos of these dreamers from all over the united states. when they gave us the permission to disclose their identity and told their stories and every time i've told that story about that dreamer, someone has stopped me in the hall and said that's an amazing story about this young person who just wants to be part of the the united states and its future. so it was troubling yesterday to

pick up and read the quotes from stephen king, who i a congressman from iowa. mr. king is new comer when it comes to criticizing immigration. he introduced a bill three or four weeks ago in the house of representatives which would have removed all the federal funds that are being used now to spare these dreamers from deportation in the united states. in other words, the president has issued a executive order so the young people eligible for the dream act can stay, he wanted to remove all the funds so they'd have to be deported immediately. he called that for a vote. it passed in the u.s. house of representatives, just a few weeks ago. overwhelmingly supported by his republican side of the aisle. so stephen king has a record of opposing immigration and doing it in a very forceful way. but they found a quote which he'd made, a statement he had made on the issue of the

dreamers, and that's why i come to the floor today. in an interview with radio iowa, mr. king said yesterday it seems as though i have a few critics out there. but those advocating for the dream act try to make it about valedictorians. i don't disagree there are dreamers that are valedictorians but it also would legalize those smuggling drugs into the united states. in his original comments, congressman king of iowa said -- quote -- "for everyone who is a valedictorian there is another 100 out there who weigh 130 pounds and they've got calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert" -- end of quote. in his interview tuesday evening, congressman king doubled down on those comments

according to "the washington post" saying -- quote -- "we have people that are mules, they're drug mules, they're hauling drawings drugs across the border and you can tell by their physical characteristics what they've been doing for months" -- end of quote. mr. president, if you've going to be part of this political business you better have a pretty tough spine. and a pretty hard sll. because people throw criticism around all the time. and if you cant take it, this ain't beanbag, do something else. but i deeply resent what was said by congressman king about these dreamers. it isotally unfair. it's mean, and it's hateful. don't take my word for it. take the words of the republican leaders who responded to mr. king. house speaker john boehner commenting on congressman king's comments called them -- quote -- "wrong and hateful." that's from speaker boehner. house majority leader he can cant said they were -- quote -- "inexcusable" -- end of quote.

during a house judiciary committee hearing tuesday, representative joseph garcia described king's words as -- quote -- "beneath the dignity of this body." representative raul labrador, republican of idaho who has been heavily involved in immigration reform, expressed hope wednesday that king regretted his remarks. "there's nobody in the conference who would say such a thing and i hope that he if he thought about it wouldn't say such a thing again close quote, labrador said. it is heartening to know that members of exphan king's own party, republicans,mr. have stated unequivocally how awful his statement was. it troubles me and it's heartbreaking to think that these dreamers,hese young people who are simply asking for a chance to be part of the united states, would be characterized as dope smugglers and drug smugglers. obviously congressman king's never read the dream act because if you've ever been convicted of a crime, country be approved

through the dream act for citizenship. not a serious crime. that's part of the law. he should know better. but i'm not sure that he cares. i'm glad that members of his own party have stepped up and branded these comments for what they are. and what i have to say to him is take a moment away from the media, mt some of these dreamers and hear their stories. hear what they've been through and hear about what they want to do with their lives for the united states of america's future and to the dreamers themselves, this isn't the first criticism they've run into. they've taken a lot. they're courageous young men and women. when i started this trek, this 12-year trek on the dream act, i used to give speeches in chicago about the bill and there would be audiences full of hispanics usually, nothing much would be said and i'd go out to my car afterwards in the darkness there would be a couple students waitingy the car.

they'd look both waig wairs to make sure no one was around and say senator, we're dreers. we're counting on you to give us a chance. over the years, these young people who waited to greet me in the darkness when no one was around have now stepped up. they're identifying who they are so america knows what's at stake. and when you meet the dreamers you will realize how awful and wrong these statements are by congressman king. there will always be critics of immigration in america. it's part of our national tradition. but i do believe the vast majority of americans are fair people. they are people who believe in justice. they do not believe that a child, a child should be held responsible for any wrongdoing by their parent. if their parent brought broth them to the united states as a baby, they have had no voice in that dision. why should they be penalized for that decision? they should be given their own

chance to become part of this nation's future. i'll close by saying that maybe teresa lee wasn't the first dreamer in my life, my mother was brought here at the age of 2, and certainly didn't have much of a voice in the decision to come to america. but thank goodness her mother and father decided to make that trip and that my grinders --, grandparents located in illinois and gave me a chance to grow up in a great place with a great story. that's my story >> we will bring you more on immigration tomorrow with a discussion of how high-skilled and low-skilled immigrants affect the economy at noon eastern. >> they would come up as close as they could and then go into an assault, which meant they

would send squads armed with bombs and come charging at our first lines. and it did not matter how many casualties they took. those who went down were followed by a new wave. many of the new wave had no weapons, they just pick the weapons up of those who had been hit. by force oft kept numbers, trying to push us out of our positions. they failed. >> this weekend on american history tv on c-span3, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the korean war at 8:00, at saturday

followed by sunday when the at thent pays tribute korean war memorial at 10:00 a.m.. the nominee to be deputy homeland security secretary denied he helped the foreign investor of helping >> of getting a foreign visa. alejandro mayorkas current heads the. skipped the hearing because of allegations against mr. mayorkas. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013]

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> good morning, everyone. welcome to this hearing. orkis.e, secretary may welcome to senator feinstein.

and certainly welcome to our colleagues on the committee, especially senator landrieu, who has agreed to say a few words about you before we get started. senator feinstein and senator have a markup going on right now. they have come here to introduce secretary mayorkas. come. grateful you could >> thank you, and i appreciate the courtesy, so thank you. it is a pleasure for me to introduce president obama's nominee for secretary of the department of homeland security, alejandro mayorkas. i have known ali for many years and have been proud to recommend him to president clinton for position of the united states attorney for the central district of california as well as to president obama for his current position as director of the u.s. citizenship and immigration services.

the role of deputy secretary within the department is really an important one. the deputy secretary is charged with overseeing the agency's efforts to counterterrorism and enhance the security security and management of our borders, while facilitating trade and travel and enforcing our immigration laws. additionally, this secretary assists in safeguarding and securing cyberspace, supports national security in times of disaster, and that is in coordination with federal, state, local, international, and private sector parties -- partners. mr. mayorkas breaks to this office a diverse background and a set of experiences in both the private and public sectors. warner in cuba, mr. mayorkas . with his b.a distinction from the university

of california. he earned his law degree from loyola in 1985. those who have enjoyed the opportunity to work with him regarding him as being highly intelligent, thoughtful, kind am a compassionate, and dedicated to doing the right thing. 1998, he served as an assistant u.s. attorney for the central district of california, where he prosecuted crimes,rray of federal specializing in the prosecution of white-collar crimes. federal law enforcement agencies recognized his success with multiple awards. for example, he received commendations from fbi director louis freeh for his successful prosecution of operation polar cap, which was the largest money-laundering case in the nation at the time. he continued to distinguish himself by becoming the first u.s. attorney in the central district of california to be

appointed from within the office. he created the civil rights section in the office to prosecute hate crimes. he developed an innovative program to address violent crime by targeting criminals 'possession of firearms, prosecuting street gangs, and developing afterschool programs to help at-risk youth realize their potential. he uniquely demonstrated the ability to simultaneously be firm with criminals about protective with infinite, and supportive and empowering to our future leaders. lawupported by the many enforcement and community awards he received during his tenure of u.s. attorney, mr. mayorkas 'accomplishments as extended beyond his district. he expanded his community outreach programs in cooperation with international players in the fight against crime.

he directly resolved cases while also overseeing hundreds of attorneys, addressing immigration matters, which included complex and sensitive prosecution of individuals and rings reducing false immigration documents, illegal reentry cases, and alien smuggling conspiracies. at the administration for the drug enforcement administration, the director noted that he was instrumental in addressing violent crime and expand cooperation with other nations to address the growing threat of transnational crime. abide with his prosecuting white-collar crime, public corruption, computer-related crime, and international money laundering, she wrote such a broad base of experience are invited him with a unique perspective on threats to

national security. he further developed his sharp legal skills as a partner at a firm from 2001 to 2009, where he represented companies in high profile and sensitive government enforcement cases. he was recognized by his worldwide firm with an annual award for leadership, excellence, and citizenship, and was named by the national law journal as one of the 50 most influential minority lawyers in america in 2008. since his confirmation as director of the u.s. cis four years ago, he has continued to exert his influence through leadership, excellence, and citizenship in accomplishing the agency's mission. he has improved immigration services and policies of u.s. prioritiesigning its for a modern-day america that

seeks to preserve its legacy as a nation of immigrants am a while ensuring national security and public safety. no easy task. throughout his current role, he has successfully preserve and increase the integrity of our immigration laws by decreasing fraud and bringing accountability to our immigration system. he has worked to secure our nation's criminal and immigration laws in the face of increasing gang and border violence. as technology advances him a so to have our needs to prevent fraud and to safeguard immigration documents from tampering. confronted thes challenge by enhancing the scope and frequency of national security vetting of applicants for immigration benefits him up by redesigning immigration documentation with enhanced security features. he has led u.s. cis and the other half of its mission, to

preserve the role of america as a just nation that treats immigrants at our shores humanely and with an eye toward the potential they bring to our nation. arial fraud that undermine the integrity of the immigration system, mr. mayorkas has launched the unauthorized practice of immigration law initiative. wide effort with federal, state, and municipal agencies and enforcement authorities that work to paredes am onraise awareness communities and investigate and prosecute wrongdoers. after the 2010 earthquake in haiti, he developed and implemented a humanitarian parole program on an emergency basis to save orphans and unite children with their adoptive

families here. significantly, under president obama's directive, he granted deferred action to immigrants who brought children to this country and seeds remain in the united states. he swiftly implemented the deferred action for childhood arrivals initiative in 60 days. in less than one year, over 500,000 people have applied germane in the united states, the only home they have known. he has realigned the agency's organizational structure, including offices and facilities worldwide, two more actors city -- accurately serve. haves budget reviews that resulted in cost saving measures that resulted in 100 $60 million in budget cuts for fiscal year 2010. mr. chairman, i took an additional amount of time because i know there are

currents swirling about his confirmation, but i also know that this is an incredibly special human being who is well deserving of this position, and i know that this committee will do the right thing and confirm him for nomination to the floor of the senate. thank you very much. >> thank you very much. thank you very much. senator landrieu, thank you so much for taking time for joining this committee. we welcome your remarks. >> thank you. i will be brief. i wanted to join senator feinstein in that fine and comprehensive and strong an excellent introduction of alejandro mayorkas. i have come to know this gentleman very well over the last several years and want the members of this committee to workthat i have hardly with a finer individual in any department of the federal

government. administrator with a heart for people, and i on the bottom line, and a person the is absolutely full of highest integrity. unlike senators feinstein, i did 16 know alejandro mayorkas years ago. i met him two years ago a month and was so taken by his immediate willingness to help in a very serious problem, mr. chairman, that had to do with children that been literally for, stuck in orphanages years, parents in america desperate for someone to listen to them, and this man who runs the largest immigration agency in the world, with all of the pressure that is on him from all of us, took time out of his schedule and identified some staff that could help. to me, that says it all. and we need people in our government that are willing to serve people directly, that

understand the parts of people, and i know alejandro mayorkas is that kind of person. i must admit some additional statements about the swirling that senator feinstein talked about into the record so as to not come up the meeting this morning. but i just want to say how strongly i feel that the president could not have found a better person with more integrity than the gentleman sitting before us today, and i am going to support him hardly, i am going to talk with every member of this committee on both sides of the aisle, and urge them to quickly confirm this nominee, because this department needs all of the focus and help, and as the chair of the homeland security appropriations committee, i hope my voice and my opinion will be strongly heard, and i thank you, mr. chairman, and best of luck to you, mr. mayorkas, and i thank your family for being here. his wife is not here, his kids,

because they are taking a vacation. he has not taken a vacation because he is so busy, but his brother is here to support him, and as a political refugee from cuba, i think he can certainly appreciate the importance of our thecracy come our laws, and significance of citizenship to the view our nation and the world. a key. >> thank you. let me say, you could not have better advocates and senator feinstein and senator landrieu, and we are grateful each of you would be here to share your determinationour to ensure we do the right thing. today we meet consider the nomination of alejandro mayorkas choice tot obama's serve as deputy secretary of the department of homeland security. he served as director of the citizenship and immigration service. he thank you for that service and your willingness to serve for the decorating -- deputy

secretary position. we strive to make sure that federal agencies were better and more efficiently with resources we entrust to them. part of our responsibilities is ensuring we have effective leaders in place to provide central guidance. our committee must consider administration nominees in both a flurry -- thorough and timely manner. at the department of homeland security, i believe there are 15 senior division positions that theor will be vacant in near future. at least six of positions require senate confirmation. i call this phenomenon executive ranch swiss cheese. chaffetz, ajason republican colleague, since on the house many and put leadership the predicament at the department of homeland security this way -- it is one

of the biggest agencies that we have come and it has got one of the lowest levels of more row on record based on surveys. when you have vacancies at the thatyou have this agency is unfulfilled, there is a total lack of leadership. we could -- he has a point. in six weeks we face the prospect of the department led by an active secretary, and an acting daddy secretary kerry. the issues this apartment deals with everyday are daunting, the threat of terrorist attacks, 24/sevenacks, on a basis, border security, immigration reform, and the list goes on and on and on. this department has needed and will continue to be strong leadership. janet napolitano and the former deputy secretary has provided that the last four years. napolitano will be

gone by early december. all of us must ensure that we have the leadership for this department soon. having a confirmed deputy secretary of homeland security will help fill this vacuum. we carry outl that our constitutional responsibilities to provide, advise, and consent. although our nominee is currently direction -- director of an agency that provides direct show and, it is no surprise that i say the next deputy secretary will have some big shoes to fill. deputy secretary was respected by this committee on a bipartisan basis for he -- for her leadership. it is safe to say the department needs somebody with her level of commitment to tackle the problems head on. due to herall part leadership and that of the six harry the department has made great strides in many areas. in narrowing the many issues

identified as high-risk, by gao, and my talks with mr. mayorkas he understands well these challenges and is committed to turning these efforts into moving the department forward. his leadership has earned respect of several former officials, including someone who said she would sit next to you if it would help. richard skinner, the inspector e, andl, elaine duk robert bonner, who have given strong recommendations for mr. mayorkas. i will ask consent that these records and others we have received be included, including one from the u.s. chamber of commerce. we want those included in the hearing record without objection. i would also like to he take a minute to review mr. mayorkas'

collocations. twice confirmed him for positions. the senate confirmed him by voice point in 1999 to serve for for the attorney central district in california. it did so again in 2009 to serve as director of the u.s. citizenship and immigration services. that agencyector of that he has made national security a priority by taking on fraud head-on. for fraud a directive protection and prevention. he was responsible for turning around the project to create an onic case management system. now it is on a much sounder footing and is beginning to deliver new capabilities every few months. he was also in charge of standing up a massive new program to defer action for childhood arrivals.

not everyone may agree on the merits of this program, but it is what i support. i think we can agree on this, that getting it up and running in a short time, 60 days, is an amazing concert. accomplishment. with the debate still ongoing, his expertise will be helpful in leading this department that would be charged with implementing comprehensive immigration reform. this is where the rubber will have the road. there are also questions that we have recently have been raised about mr. mayorkas' qualifications. over the last 72 hours we have learned through unusual circumstances that director is the subject of an ongoing dhs inspector general investigation. reports suggest it relates to the purported role he may have played in facilitating investor visas. at this point in time, we do not have all the facts. it is my understanding mr.

mayorkas has not even been interviewed by the office of inspector general, despite the investigation began almost a year ago. haveffice does not preliminary findings. the initial allegations have not been confirmed at this point in time and the office of inspector general has found no wrongdoing by mr. mayorkas. i might also add the same inspector general offices has not have a senate confirmed leader for over two years and has a series of acting directors, one of whom is under investigation himself by a member of this committee. sensitives information was disseminated in a remarkable manner on monday night, the office of inspector general has not informed mr. investigation. rather than allowing rumor and speculation and innuendo to rule

the day, this hearing will allow us to continue to process the vetting of this nominee. i recognize the republican colleagues in a letter sent yesterday would likely withhold all action including a hearing on his nomination until the inspector general has concluded first, the hearing provides an appropriate setting for members to ask questions of the nominee. this type of open form where it numbers as questions and the nominee is given an opportunity to respond is encouraged. we know it is months away from completing its investigation. isen that this office setting its own -- is facing its , theet of challenges investigation will not be concluded in a timely manner. -- within acting

secretary until the investigation is completed. especially given that september napolitano will be heading up the telephone education system. thecan we honestly suspect department of homeland security to carry out its mission without strong and stable leadership? given the qualifications of the , i believe it is important for us to proceed with the nomination very today. something practicing talk to me by my parents, to treat people the way you want to be treated. one of the questions i asked him

-- and i put myself in your shoes, and if someone were westioning my integrity, live our whole lives with integrity. to have them question by any window and twisted in the wind, do you need that? trying to get people to come and serve in these positions. the inspector general ig for this department has dropped out of the race. why go through all of that? we need to move. we need to move and hold a hearing. we will have the hearing today. day, i am of the interested in nothing but the truth. i hope my colleagues feel the same way. opportunity have an

questions about their experiences and qualifications for the position, both in public and private. opportunity to speak with mr. mayorkas privately on several occasions and the question by us. the opportunity to review his have had the opportunity this week. i thought maybe i missed something. his file has convinced me that he should have the opportunity to be heard. colleagueske with my , i asked if we wanted to go forward this. when i asked him if he wanted to go forward with the hearing, he said that he is eager to appear. we are owing to make that

possible for you. jamescome your brothers .nd anthony i am glad you are here. i understand you have daughters and a wife somewhere else. we are happy that you're here. that being said, i'm going to introduce our witness and swear him in. then we will give him -- then we will ask him questions. the biographical questionnaire submitted by the committee and had his financial statement reviews by the office of government ethics. objection, it will be made part of the hearing record with the exception of the financial data, which will be available for public inspection in the committee's office.

witnessesire that all at nomination hearings are asked to give their testimony under oath. me in ask you in joining standing and raising her right hand. you swear that the testimony you're about to give the committee is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but truth, so help you god? yes. >> feel free to introduce her family. i will ask you three perfunctory questions than then we will open it up up to the committee. please proceed. welcome. >> thank you very much. chairman, distinguished numbers of the committee, i am honored by the president's nomination into beer today. i am honored by senator feinstein's introductory remarks.

also of those from yourself. in my prep -- in my professional life i have served for 16 years. my drive to serve the country are rounded in my family history and upbringing. my parents brought my sister and me to this country as a lyrical refugees in 1960, having escaped the commonest takeover of cuba. parents instilled in their children a deep and everlasting appreciation of the freedoms and liberties that define our country and a respect for it flows. our nation, they taught us, is like no other. its qualities are never to be taken for granted, instead cherished and protected. mr. chairman, his fingers members of the committee, my beautiful wife and our two young daughters are on a vacation with our daughter's grandmother.

we thought it was important that they carry through with those long-ago planned travels because there may not be many more of them. far less beautiful, but no less loved, my two brothers are here. [laughter] there are here in in their stead, and i am deeply grateful. >> they look like they have your back. >> i am deeply grateful. my brother james and my brother anthony traveled across the country to be here. i have served our country for a most wild years as a federal prosecutors in the u.s. attorney's office for the central district of california. day and every day, night, and most often seven days a week, i enforce the laws of this land, and they did so

aggressively and with distinction. i did so first as an assistant senatetorney, then as a confirmed u.s. attorney. it was in a credible honor for me to stand in a court of law with law enforcement as my side to prosecute the laws of this land. jury --he judge and the i announced to the judge in the jury. years, i haver served on immigration services. globe.rkforce spends the dedicated and talented workforce, some of whom are here today. we have prioritized and strengthened our agency's national security safeguard, and are committing fraud to protect

the integrity of the system. mr. chairman, distinguished members of the committee, my parents not only instilled in us a deep appreciation for the freedoms and liberties that define our country and our biting -- and our abiding respect for the law. they also taught us to lead a principled life, rather than ethics, honor, and integrity. their teachings, advice, lectures, admonitions, and support were strong but not more powerful than the lesson of example. they conducted themselves as i expectedly by light. as this committee considers what i have a compass, it is a glimpse into the character of my parents. i look forward to your questions

. i am your to answer them. and i am honored to be here. >> thank you for being here, for your service, and willing to testify. i'm going to delay my thetioning and turned to senator from north dakota. >> thank you. i have to tell you -- >> can you hold for just a second? >> i need just reaper frederick questions. -- i need to ask three perfunctory questions. there anything in your background that might prevent a background -- a conflict of interest. >? >> no. >> is there anything that would prevent you from discharging the responsibilities for the office

for which were nominated? >> no. is or anything that we keep you from appearing in testifying in a court if confirmed? >> no. >> thank you. as a preliminary matter, i want to express to determine how much i agree with his comments this morning. and with his concern about a process that seems to get short- circuited by rumors and innuendo and lack of credible evidence. i want to tell you that how much i enjoyed meeting you in my office as we relayed security concerns, understanding that your commitment to law your commitment and support by people you worked with, which means the world to me that cops like you. you are willing to do the tough work of taking tough cases to

trial and representing the u.s. in cases that may be other people avoid. i appreciated hearing that history about you. i appreciate having the chance to meet with you very hopefully, if everything comes to for risch and the way we think it will, i look forward to the opportunity of bringing you to north dakota and introducing you to the unique challenges we have in the northern border. i don't think -- i guess i have to decide this morning whether we will have the discussion i thought we were going to have. help all fully maybe -- i think it will help clear some things up and give you a chance to respond. , from a witness is a

standpoint, from your standpoint, to have an opportunity to respond to what can be a frustrating situation for you and your family. i'm going to jump right in. situation with funds management where you had multiple requests to intervene in the process, what structures, rules, orders practices did you put in place to make sure that no ethics were violated? >> thank you, senator. it was a pleasure to meet you as well. it will be an honor to be confirmed and have the opportunity to travel with you to your state and export the challenges of the northern border. senator, if i can, the issues --

the difficult, complex issues of law and policy that challenge the agency and present opportunities for resolution percolate up through the zipper brazil's -- through the supervisor chain, when they need resolution and when they have broad application, the manner in isch those cases reach me there cases. we are in operation. we are a large agency. -- we protect our nations security. we combat fraud and assess the applications that come before us through the cases that they present to us. i have become involved in those complex, difficult, legal policy issues when they are raised to my attention by my colleagues,

which very often occurs. , whichers of congress very often occurs. by members of the public or applications themselves. deferred to adjudicators on the frontline to adjudicate cases. i do not adjudicate cases. issuesss legal policy that are brought to my attention through the channels that i have outlined. what types of verbal orders or requests did you make to your staff on this issue that would not be captured by e-mail or in any other written record? >> are you speaking with respect to the -- matter? >> yes. table with myd a

colleagues, which is my practice when difficult issues rise to my level. i sat around with my colleagues and we resolve the issues. some there would have been verbal communications beyond e- mails and written correspondence? >> most certainly. we have set up structures with response to this question to resolve difficult legal issues. sometimes we are able to resolve colleagues who are handling the matter directly. sometimes different people have to be involved in the discussion and bring their expertise. we have set up senior policy committees. we have set up leadership meetings. we have set up open and collaborative forms to resolve the issues. i do not resolve those issues alone. >> would there have been a

scheduling note of who would've attended the meetings? >> there very well might be. certainly am a there were a number of people around the table when we discussed the issues. >> i believe it is safe to say that the visa program has challenges attached to it through its nature. what added responsibility does an agency leader have when dealing with the program that may considered controversial as a result of the way the program is structured? what responsibility do they have to make sure that the orders are clear and the staff understands the potential pitfalls? >> i appreciate the question. let me speak to my responsibility. then let me speak about the program about which you have required. it is my responsibility to assure that we administer our , abilities toes

safeguard the nation's security and to protect the integrity of the system, we do it in strict accordance with the law. taste on the law and the facts oma and nothing else. -- based on the law and the facts, and nothing else. we adhere to the highest ideals of public service, and they are correct. that is how i carry out my responsibilities. the program is controversial. it is, lex. program weno other have administered. frankly, it is a program that is primarily a business and program,row graham -- and not an immigration program. what is involved in the case is an assessment, whether foreign inital is invested properly

a new commercial enterprise, whether the amount of capital is at risk throughout the term of the investment oma whether the isiness enterprise proposed specifically detailed and viable , and whether the models submitted to us to estimate are sound and reasonable. those are some of the issues involved in the adjudication of the ev5 program. agency, itor of this observed that the program was a ,taffed with nine adjudicators no economist, no business analyst, and no specialists in national security or fraud detection. throughout my tenure, we have no pay program -- we have built at

, we have bright individuals dedicated to ensuring the integrity of the program as it has grown throughout the years. i have a second round of questions if you're able. senator mccaskill? >> from your record, i see that you're a prosecutor. i like to call what you are a 911 prosecutor. i did not have the luxury like my colleagues did. know, we thought we were the real prosecutors, and you're not. having said that, i know that you are moved up to u.s. attorney, which is extraordinarily unusual and speaks to your capabilities. as a prosecutor, i will be candid with you.

,hese things floating out there they may be rumor or a window or political, but you have to do a rebuttal. you cannot talk around it. i will give you the to say what you want to say about what is being said about you. going to getre not another opportunity like this. this thing will swirl, and there will be incremented should, and it will be a political brouhaha. trouble for as lot of reasons. why don't you take a few minutes five, and sayhave what you would want us to know about the accusations being made about you, that you try to use an appropriate lead your a matterto influence because of who was interested in

the outcome. >> thank you for the opportunity. let me share with you if i may , i felt like i 911 prosecutor. evening when i was forwarded a copy of the e-mail that was published to this apparent about an inspector general investigation in theh i reportedly subject. i had no idea. frankly, i do not understand it. i will say this, and i say it firmly, and i say it unequivocally, and i say it of service to this country, 12 of which were as a law enforcement official, i have never in my career

exercised undue influence to influence the outcome of a case. i have never based my decisions on who brings a case, but rather upon the facts and the law. ... -- iaken in my life have taken my life oaths of office area and i live my life by those oaths. i refer to this on a personal level in my opening statement. my entire life, i have right to live in a way that brings honor to my parents. there is never been an instance in which i have failed to do so in terms of the integrity with which i have brought my efforts to bear on everything i have

done, whether in the private sector or the public sector. i look forward to learning about the obligations. i do not quite understand them, but i will tell you that the allegations are unequivocally false. is aulf coast matter matter about which we received complaints in 2011. issues in that case rose to my the ev5n because program is complex. a few issues were brought to my attention, and i address them with my colleagues around the table. >> normally i don't jump in. i think it might be helpful for us to have a basic understanding of the program. then --

my understanding is that you did not create the program. it was not created in this the ministers and. 1992, and wed in are struggling to come out of a recession. >> you mean this decade, not the century. created in 1982. -- in 1992. what they were trying to do was figure out how to get the economy moving. one way to do that is have access to capital. use a few minutes and give 5-101. will call ev be eager to continue my response. the program has its creation, it

is premised on the belief that in poorals and -- countries that are willing to invest in the u.s., and those .nvestments yield jobs they have an opportunity then to gain lawful status in the united states. that is the top level of the issue. >> is it a green card? conditionalt get a green card, then after two years, if the jobs had been created, 10 jobs specifically, have been created or are likely to be created with any reasonable. of time -- within a reasonable this gives you an idea of the issues we wrestle with, but if they are created, the

conditions of permanent resident status are removed, the foreign individual is a lawful permanent resident. therefore, they are eligible for citizenship after a number of years, provided that they qualify. >> continue please. the allegation is that i somehow by somehow sitting around the table and resolving a couple of difficult issues that were unsettled in our agency in the administration of the program. it was nothing that i have not done hundreds of times when difficult issues reach my attention. the agency needs resolution of the. that interesting to note

i summarize the allegations favored treatment was afforded the gulf coast. noteworthy is the fact that the complaints persisted in 2012, and they continue to this day. also noteworthy -- >> what complaints are you referencing specifically? delays, layer of the agency to adjudicate the case. on this particular case, the complaints consist. >> so it has not been resolved? >> i don't know the status of the cases. the people that you try to help allegedly? >> i don't know the status of

the cases. and notably, when a report was published with respect to raising a question, with respect to the integrity of the business enterprise, as i do in all circumstances, drawing upon my many years as a prosecutor, drawing upon my prioritization of national security and fraud and my execution of the priorities, as soon as i , irned of the concern referred the case to the fraud detection and national security director. .> my time is up i appreciate your many years. and i was teasing you about not

being a nice prosecutor. i want to make sure you knew that. like you were teasing about your brothers not being as beautiful as your wife grade >> may that be the only time we disagree. a feeling there will be many other times we disagree, but it will be on finance contracting and audits. think you very much. -- thank you very much. if i can give you the one i recall specifically and why i recall -- why i recall it specifically, when i get issues orn policy novel questions before us, what we seek to do is resolve them for the benefit of the agency as a whole. the one complex issue ire members so clearly is we actually remote memorial i the

resolution of that difficult issue in a new policy memorandum we published publicly and throughout the agency as guidance to our adjudicators of may of this year. the resolution of that case, of course, showed up in prior drafts of the final policy memorandum we just published. the issue is this -- there is an administrative appeal decision published by our agency called izummi.atter of >> that must be an acronym. >> it is not. one of the eb5 program in the is that the ford investors capital must be at risk throughout the term of the investment. izumi stands for the proposition that a

redemption agreement in the transaction documents against foreign investors capital being at risk. in other words, if you could redeem your investment to ring the duration of the relative time, your not at risk and satisfy the legal requirement. the case that was presented to my attention was the following is it the mere existence of a redemption agreement that disqualifies the individual from satisfying the legal requirement that the b at risk or is it the question of looking at the terms and whether the terms militate against the requirement that b at risk? to the best of my recollection, the individual investor according to the deal documents commononvert his or her

shares to preferred shares or vice versa. i don't recall. the deal documents provided, the redemption provided there was not at the time a market for either for the common shares or preferred shares. be a markete ever for those shares. the conclusion was reached around the table that quite frankly and as a matter of law in the interpretation of the capitalument, the remained at risk because there may not ever be a market for that capital and the redemption may never be realized. that's an example of a difficult issue that could rise to my attention. when we resolve it, we can provide guidance to our adjudicators so they can adjudicate cases in strict

adherence of the lot more ably. is absolute core principle that we adjudicate cases based on the facts of a law. >> when i first heard about it, i didn't know much about it until this month. i learned a bit and i'm still learning, but it seems to me this is a strange program to be , you meet people they haves and entrepreneurship and this is , we have toidea have somebody to look at this and say does this actually make any sense? would you respond to that. and make sure you have the kind of makee in your agency --

sure you have the kind of talent and your agency to help make the right judgment calls. >> thank you very much. i would like to answer that in a couple of parts if i may. we received more complaints about our administration of the anyprogram than we do other area in our work. we receive complaints from the public, applicants and petitioners and we receive complaints from members of congress in both parties. ?> and this is bipartisan >> it is absolutely bipartisan and there's probably not a week that goes by that i don't receive complaints from members of congress with respect to our administration of the program. quite frankly, there have been a eb5 program issues that have been raised to my attention that i have addressed with my colleagues and i recall

the members concerns were actually valid and we were able to resolve those. >> were there any interested where they were not valid? >> most certainly. we respond to the concerns not by who is the author of the concern but rather by what the facts and law demand. that is our principal. eb5 cases have been brought to my attention within the agency. the administration brought a case to my attention because we were terminating a regional center for the first time and we -- make sure sure our decision was correct because the stakes are high and the decision was well reasoned and well written. my office became involved then. as i mentioned, the program

requires expert economic analysis and clear and sophisticated understanding of business proposals and the myriad of legal issues that those arenas raise. ,hen i first came to the agency i reach out to partners in the federal government when i learned about the program and posited to them they needed to become involved as partners with us because they had the expertise to bring to bear. the department of commerce would be one example and our discussions with other government agencies in sharing responsibility for the administration of the program are ongoing. do not banrim, i still. i do not stand still in progress is needed. progress is an obligation of hours to achieve. what i did was i introduced to the program

economists. we expanded the pool of adjudicators. i don't think we did right for many years in support of our adjudicators because we put them in charge of cases and did not equip them with the tools to address those cases as i think they would most want because they strive for excellence. i brought economic expertise and business expertise. i brought fraud detection to national security expertise. those efforts have been evolving and most recently, we decided to create a new program. will be national security personnel and a greater level of expertise. there iso follow-up,

reference to several employees that you retaliated against them. i think they are in a california office. this was not viewed to be a matter of retaliation. do you have any recollection of that? could you put a little light on that? >> the office of special counsel determined were no fax to support the allegations. theo facts to support allegations. her smell decisions are very difficult to make grade they are singularly the most taxing aspects of jobs when one has supervisor will responsibilities. one has to act in the best interest of the agency. personnel moves are not necessarily disparagement.

or anything critical. as a supervisor, as a manager and leader, one has to fit the needs of the agencies with the talent of the people most ably. my commitment is to the talent of the agency as a whole and my commitment is to the laws we are sworn to uphold. >> mr. chairman, i would like to just for a moment talk about becoming director of homeland security, if that is possible. i have one question. we are deeply concerned about morale of the department of homeland security. i know we have had these discussions before and if you are confirmed as the deputy, what will you do to improve morel within the agency and what steps would you take to bring more cohesion to the group? >> thank you very much.

andve been honored continue to be honored to work with the men and women of u.s. citizenship and immigration services in the department of homeland security of which are wency is a part erie it have an incredibly talented and dedicated workforce. a workforce that is deeply committed to the mission of the department and that loves its mission. honor if i am confirmed to be sure our workforce has the tools they require to work at the very highest levels of excellence to that they aspire and feel fully supported and that they are trained and provided with open and fair processes. i will engage with the

workforce and i will engage with this committee in focusing to is as that the morale high as it should be when one considers the talent of the people and the nobility of the mission. >> when you talk about the tools, because we all know what yourffect morel -- knowing job but not having the tools, what additional tools do you of as essential to the work the department of homeland security. let me draw upon my experience at u.s. citizenship and immigration services because i spent a great deal of energy and focus on the well- being of our workforce.

has asked for more training. our immigration law and policy is ever evolving. new decisions are issued. new challenges arise and they have asked for enhanced training to be delivered. they have asked for opportunities for growth, for professional development, and we have delivered professional development programs, details for employees to be exposed to different parts of the agency to grow. managers have asked for training on how to manage and manage people and how to lead people. very often, we pick managers who are experts in the subject matter at issue but not necessarily expertly trained in how to bring out the best in people, how to assist people

when they have challenges and how to promote people when they have successes. those are some examples of tools that a workforce requests and a workforce deserves. .> just one final point theou have disparaged appearance of your brothers, some might suggest they are better looking than you are. [laughter] they have not gone through three confirmation hearings. [laughter] >> i would just acknowledge that you may have lost some of your hair but you have not lost your sense of humor, so that is good. we are joined by senator tester from montana. the floor is yours. >> i'm sorry i was late. the senator's remarks

to hard because she always talks about me being ugly to. just kidding. thank you for being here. as we talked in my office, we appreciate your willingness to serve. where in a situation janet napolitano has stepped down. there will be an administration leadership void within the administration is what i meant to say. if confirmed, how will your administration work with congress to make sure it is moving forward even though there will be so many positions in leadership missing at the department? , senatoryou very much tester for the question. if i have the privilege of being confirmed as the deputy secretary, i would work with this committee to ensure that

the president's nominees to fill the vacancies in the department of homeland security are completed successfully and as swiftly as possible. in the interim, i can say we havecally that tremendous talent within the department of homeland security to ensure that the mission of the department is accomplished , andssfully, effectively efficiently until those vacancies are filled. >> i want to talk about visa overstays. 40% of folks who are here improperly are because of visa overstays. it's a huge problem in processing and identifying and monitoring or apprehending individuals who overstay their visas. your perspective, is this an issue of inadequate manpower, areequate focus, resources,

there statutory obstacles in the road? it seems to me 40% is a little over-the-top. why is it? >> thank you very much for your question. it's a very important one. homelandtment of security has made great strides in addressing the problem of visa overstays. immigration and customs enforcement, one of the agencies responsible primarily for the important area has significantly improved in its battle to combat visa overstays. we have developed enhanced biographical data to ensure we are aware of the individuals who have overstay their visas. what i will deal immediately, senator, is ensure that immigration and customs enforcement reaches out to your office and informed you with great detail of the great

strides they have made in addressing the problem because they have done so in recent months. >> i appreciate that. i think the immigration bill that recently passed the senate got a long ways in eliminating a lot of those visa overstays. as a side comment, hopefully the house will take that up and not play politics with it because it is important for the country. , in thes reservations past i have work to make sure dhs retains a strong relationship with our travel partners. from a personal perspective, do you have any experience working with tribal leaders, uk u.s. attorney or in your current position? >> i do. united states attorney, i worked with tribal leaders to address some of the challenges they had in the central district of california with respect to enforcement issues on reservations as well

as certain civil matters with respect to specifically in california, legal issues involving indian gaming. i've worked extensively with tribal leaders during my tenure in the united states attorney's office and i take ray pride in -- i take rate pride in the close working relationship i was able to achieve with them. if confirmed, i would carry that collaborative teamwork approach to my duties as deputy secretary. >> i appreciate that. i may ask some more questions for the record. i appreciate the chairman of this late time allowing me to ask some questions. i will go back and just say i wish you the best. we need good people in the department of homeland security. we need people who can carry out this task because it is an important one. hopefully what has gone on here today will stop and we will get

you confirmed and get you back to work. >> thank you very much, much, senator. it would be an honor. >> my staff has given me a little information. to get information on eb5 101. ,t was actually created in 1990 when we were just going into recession. 1993 washe program in modified. i think congress added something called the immigrant investor pilot program in order to encourage immigrant investments through designated regional centers. i don't recall hearing much about designated regional centers. i just become governor of my state. though we have all heard of

enterprise zones. designated regional center, i liken it to an enterprise zone. talk to us about designated regional centers and how do they work? what are the kind of people trying to get them established thecollect funds to fund entrepreneurial activities? just give us a little discussion on that, please. >> the regional center program is indeed a pilot program. it was reauthorized last year. it wasotes say in 2012. the word pilot was removed from the 20- year-old program and provided ande-year option was a shim

it was cosponsored by a number of our colleagues. adopted by unanimous consent very that was about one year ago. >> the regional center is an area of economic activity in which commercial enterprises can , into which foreign capital can be invested in the and the jobs can be created in that area of economic activity. the popularity of the regional center program has increased andnentially over the years over the last four years -- >> does it have something to do with the worst recession since the great depression and this was a way to try to draw job creation into this? >> outside reports have

eb5luded that indeed the program and the regional center program has grown exponentially because capital has been difficult to raise in a challenging economy. there is a great deal of interest amongst individuals in other countries to immigrate to the united states and those who can afford it find the program to be a valuable means of doing so. there are investors and entrepreneurs and other countries that may be have good business ideas and have some money. we are looking for someone to invest capital here for job creation rather than can eat with those folks from another country. is my understanding. is that close to correct? >> it is. specifically that individuals with the requisite amount of capital. it's a minimum of $500,000 or a

minimum of $1 million depending on where the regional center is located. invest their capital, that requisite amount of capital in a regional center ,nd if u.s. jobs are created they will have resident status as i outlined earlier. if they qualify under the under -- under the other legibility requirements, why it has grown, the economic factors others have concluded has a causal link in a regional center as opposed to a new commercial enterprise outside of a regional center, the job creation can be computed to include not only direct job creation, but indirect job creation. not necessarily just employees

of the new commercial enterprise, but jobs that are created as a result of the new commercial enterprise. suppliers would be a perfect example. if a supplier increases its workforce by virtue of the new commercial activity and jobs are created that are attributable to the regional center, then that job creation is attributable to the capital investment and counts to the job creation requirement. this is where the toplex economic models assess potentials for job creations come into play and if one presented those to me, even though i this as a lawyer for many years, i would not know how to adjudicate them. they are extraordinarily complex and fall within the purview of that and that's why we have not

the expertise to bear. there's one additional point i would like to make and that's the following. growth in a program comes the potential for challenges to the program's integrity. we have of course seen cases where individuals have sought to make misrepresentations to us in order to avail themselves of the program for which they are not qualified or, worse yet, individuals who seek to avail of entry into this country through the program when they made those a threat to the country. >> what do you do about that kind of fraud? >> we've done great deal. this is our highest ird, to help secure our nation and protect the integrity of the system of which we are guardians. we have reached out to the law

enforcement and intelligence communities and developed stronger and closer working relationships. increased the staffing of our national security personnel and we are embedding eb5 program. we have reached out to the security and exchange commission to make sure they help and based on my law enforcement days to the highest levels of the security exchange commission to make sure they brought their enforcement efforts and expertise to this very important area. we were substantial cooperators and partners in the first successful sec enforcement eb5 program inan chicago, illinois. >> how do these designated centers become -- are there a lot of them? hundreds?

>> i don't know the number of regional centers that exist -- >> would be more than a hundred or less than a hundred? toi don't want to speculate the committee. >> how do they get created? ,> from my understanding because i'm the director and i don't get involved in seeing the actual applications and petitions for the business plans developes, but people business ideas for the development of commercial enterprises. >> american business people? >> people here in the united states. they develop business plans for the development of those enterprises, commercial enterprises. once those business plans and commercial enterprises are

outlined and they have approval from us to proceed, they begin to attract investors and quite frankly, i don't know if they begin to attract investors before we approve them or not, but they develop business plans and begin to execute on their business plans and present them to us. if we approve them as regional center designations, they proceed with the execution of their plans from there. knowing my colleagues and me, if i had somebody wanted to create jobs in delaware and wanted to create one of these designated regional centers, in order to increase employment opportunities in my state, i would be interested in seeing that succeed. , iumber of my colleagues don't think i've ever reached out to your office, but a number of colleagues do call your office and in some cases you, and say there is this effort to

create employee activity in my state. they probably don't call and they probably do not call to say, you are doing a great job and keep it up. maybe they do. my guess is they call to raise concerns. would you talk about concerns my colleagues or governors might raise and the kinds of concerns that might be raised by someone who is attempting to establish one of these designated centers, like, it is taking too long, or i have not agreed to establish the center. can you share with us the nature of those conversations? >> thank you. ,e received e-mails, calls letters, and members -- four members of congress of both parties. more often than weekly and more often than once a week, i assure you.

into a particular jurisdiction and the creation of jobs for u.s. workers in that jurisdiction, a need and a in timesthat is held of economic challenge. the complaints vary widely, one that we most often here is we are taking too long. we have goals of approximately six months but we do not meet that goal. , and sometimes the time extend longer. very important and valid reasons, making sure we are right according to the laws and the facts, making sure the integrity of the application is a short, making sure there is not a threat to our security. inare being inconsistent

our adjudications. we are being untimely. .e are not adhering to the law we are not following our established policies. the complaints are diverse. there was one very noticeable -- notable complaint that i recall because it spoke -- it accused us of being unfair. that we had made decisions in the case and then we changed our inds. the concerns of members of congress was that that was inequitable, that is this developers relied on our earlier decisions and for us to change course midstream seemed inequitable. i looked into that. consistent with the principles to which i referred at the outset of the hearing, if

something speaks of a difficult legal policy challenged the agency confronts, i looked into tabletter around the with my colleagues and agreed with concern. my colleagues asked me to get in the resolution of the matter and i did and i made a decision that was going in the made itrection and right in the spirit of the letter and the law and the policies we have sworn to uphold. the temperature of the complaints we receive are equally diverse. neither the 10th -- temperature nor the author of the complaint are material to our decision- making. the decision-making is based on the law and the facts.

when i get involved with an issue, like the one to which i just referred, my guiding principle is nobody, -- no different than the guiding principle of the adjudicator and the one i articulated and emphasized throughout my tenure. we do with the law and the facts require and nothing less and nothing more. -- and nothing otherwise. . also ended up doing it in gulf coast states. one of the reasons senator andrew was here was because apparently she and part of the economic developments in her state, they are interested in

creating a center, that is my understanding, and would like to encourage that. the temperature of there is any complaints we receive medication you have with to create one center in virginia or maybe one in the meetings youany have or telephone conversations you recall? >> i was asked to attend a so i can hear in person his complaints. chrysler was that? what was that? >> quite some time ago. i heard the complaints and that was the extent of the interaction. i should say that i engaged with the public very often. i meet with associations,

groups, individuals, representatives, and the like, who voiced concerns, who prays us when we do our jobs well. on aremy areas i focus -- sorease and -- to the we are transparent not only to the public we serve but to be , whose responsibility it is in part to hold us accountable. and, of course, to this committee, the committees of oversight, to which we are held accountable. i heard the complaints and i moved on with my work. hear from them again after the meeting? >> i recall -- let me back up. did you come back to your agency and say, after leaving with him and the other folks, let's do things differently and

change our course in this meeting? how did you react once you got up to work? >> the answer to your question is absolutely not. returning to the office and complaining about the fact i had to hear complaints. that is all. >> you are probably used to hearing complaints for this. there are probably a lot of them. >> yes. my mantra for the workforce is the following. .o not shrink from criticism just worked very hard to not deserve it. >> ok. -- the basic question here, for those who are dealing with the sources, anonymous assertions, is a question of whether you have laced your hands on the scales

of justice whether it is somehow, in this case in the golf course -- gulf coast or other places, that you have placed her hands on the scales of justice to change the decision. would you respond to that on the record? for 12 yearsan, as a federal prosecutor, i served as an officer in the court. . have not changed my approach to hold myself up as an officer of the court. i am worth the law. i enforce the law based on the facts. i do not put my finger on the scale of justice. the scale of is based on the facts and the law and nothing else. i should say the gulf coast complained in 2011, 2 thousand

12, and they continue to complain in 2013. we will follow the law and administer the law based on the prints bulls which i articulated and nothing less and nothing otherwise. say, for someone to be accused of tipping the scales in a 2013, referred a -- referring to 2000 -- referring to security, based on a question of private integrity, seems a bit contradictory. it is very difficult to have allegations swirling and not have an opportunity to address them. am eager to be interviewed by the inspector general's office. i wish i had been interviewed earlier. >> i was reacting to the inspector general and his department. two years since we have had

that. before weuestion, close, and then give you a short opportunity to make a closing statement. my role of governor, every month, i meet with my legal counsel and we go over pardon request. would makeunsel recommendations and we go through the case. my staff would reach out to other people and ask them questions. recommended for a pardon by the board of pardons. we would ask for input. one of my colleagues, a question for a pardon, being considered by president lyndon. the president is about to leave

office. there is a rush. is thatrstanding someone reached out to you. can you share that? >> most certainly. thank you for the opportunity. yes. that question was posed to me when i appeared before the judiciary committee in the .nited states senate the white house reached out for me when i was the state attorney for the district of california and asked for whether i beenrted -- it had prosecuted in the district of minnesota. my fellow united states attorney, and i of form --

informed them i did not know the facts of the case and that deference should be afforded on the federal prosecutor. >> thank you. i want to give you an opportunity to make a short statement. thank you for your testimony today. >> thank you for the privilege andppearing before you distinguished members of the community. one of the greatest sources of honor i have had is to serve alongside the men and women of united dates citizenship. it is extraordinarily dedicated and talented. it has been equally an honor to serve as an assistant united states -- united states attorney. i love public service.

fulfill theing to highest ideals of public service. i love being an officer of the court. i love being a guardian of the law. i love the privilege and honor of always doing the right thing. , i love my my family two brothers, and they are here, and i love the family they are representing air. . adored my parents my parents were individuals of unflinching integrity and ethics and honor. executed my public service responsibilities in a way of which they would be proud. if i have the privilege of being confirmed as the deputy secretary of homeland security, i will continue to do so. thank you.

>> thank you for those words. when we met earlier this week, we talked a little bit about your parents. you said these words, and i will paraphrase. this is what you said. "should i live my life to honor my parents? guess is theymy are very proud of their three sons. it was thomas jefferson who used to say, it will know the truth, they will not make a mistake. the purpose for this hearing is to try try to ensure we get to the truth. that we do not hear about rumor and on confidential sources, anonymous sources, investigations that take not just weeks, but months, now almost a year. we have to get to the truth. you helped us. i am disappointed some of our

colleagues could not join us today. my hope is a will have an opportunity to consider what has happened today and what we have learned. the acting inspector general or whoever is in charge these days, homeland security, i hope they put their foot on the accelerator and get this done. justice delayed is justice denied. we have a department without a confirmed secretary and will soon be without a secretary. we need to address it. perhaps more than any needs strong leadership. they have that in you and others with whom you have served. they will need it in the months and years to come as we deal with cyber attacks occurring at this very moment, terror attacks which are being planned,

challenges being able to implement it, and with god knows how many other challenges are before us. the last thing i would say is a word on integrity. one of my favorite sayings, integrity, if you have got it, nothing else matters. , if you do not have it, nothing else matters. that yourto me parents infuse in you and your brothers a fair amount of integrity. we appreciate that. we appreciate your presence here. we will reopen until noon tomorrow. this mission of statements and questions, for the record, and this hearing is adjourned. thank you. >> thank you.

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>> tomorrow on c-span, a discussion on how high skilled and low skilled immigrants affect the u.s. economy. that is live from the cato is at noon eastern. secretary of state john kerry was at the united nations in new york city today. he and the un's secretary- reportersoke to about a range of issues. here is a look. >> we have a lot to cover, so i will be brief what we are going to discuss. first of all, we will need to

discuss the appalling situation in syria. the country is now continuing 2 1/2 years, more than 100,000 people have been killed, millions of people have been displaced or been refugees in neighboring countries. the violent actions must be stopped by both parties, and it is an imperative for a separate peace conference to begin in geneva as soon as possible. the joint special representatives and i will spare no efforts to start this meeting as soon as possible. the head of [indiscernible]

and my high representative for disarmament have just visited syria, meeting senior officials of the syrian government, to discuss the modalities of investigation. we will get the report since they are coming out of syria now soon. on the middle east, i would like to highly commend and appreciate secretary kerry's leadership and consistent and principled engagement to revive this peace process for a two-state solution. hard negotiations lie ahead, but only the parties can make the decision. i urge the leaders of palestine and israel to seize this opportunity and respond positively and courageously so that the two-state solution can be realized as soon as possible. with secretary kerry and members of the security council today, we will discuss about this horrendous suffering now in the east of the democratic republic in of congo [indiscernible] and in the region.

it is imperative we support the aramework of agreement for

and peace, security, and cooperation in the region. in that regard i welcome the security council meeting on the situation, chaired by secretary kerry, and i welcome the appointment of u.s. government special envoy former senator russ feingold. i hope you will coordinate with the special envoy mary robinson and my special representative who will work closely with you

and other parties. [indiscernible] secretary kerry and the u.s. government and president obama have been helping the international community to help combat climate change and to define and establish a sustainable the moment goal and agenda. these are keys to long-term prosperity of this world, and i count on continued leadership and engagement and support of secretary kerry and president obama and the u.s. government. the u.s. government's strong leadership is crucial in addressing all issues for humanity. again, mr. secretary, welcome to the united nations, and i look forward to have continuing strong support and engagement of the u.s. government. thank you very much. welcome. >> thank you very much. there we go. mr. secretary general, thank you for a very warm welcome here to the united nations. it is a privilege to be here with you. i am honored to have the privilege of sharing the debate today on the subject of the great lakes region. we are very grateful for your leadership, grateful for the united nations. i was just a few days ago in a refugee camp in jordan where i

saw firsthand the extraordinary work of the united nations, the experience that they have brought to the table in an effort to relieve the suffering, suffering that is growing by the day which requires all of us to work even harder to try to bring about these negotiations. there is no military solution to syria. there is only political solution. that will require leadership in order to bring people to the table. yesterday i had a conversation with the foreign minister of russia. we remain committed to the effort to bring the parties to a geneva ii, and we will try our hardest to make that happen. in the great lakes region, there is an opportunity for peace. this is an area that has been beleaguered and targeted with

egregious violence, and the framework that has been put in place is an opportunity to be able to make a difference. the special envoy russ feingold will cooperate extremely closely with special representative robinson and looks forward to going to work in order to implement the framework and bring about a sustainable solution to the absence of governance and the problems of violence in that part of the world. with respect to other areas, there are huge challenges, and we know. in south sudan, we need access to humanitarian access and we will continue to press the president and others to make

that available. finally, the granddaddy of them all, i guess, the question of the possibility of peace between palestinians and israelis. both leaders in the region, prime minister netanyahu and president abbas, have made a courageous decision to try to

return to final status talks. it is my hope that that will be able to happen as procedures are put in place by both countries in order to empower that. mr. secretary general, it is a privilege to be here in this institution, which dedicates itself day to day to ending violence, to enforcing people's prospects for peace, and to try to live by a code of universal values that i think all of us are proud to be affiliated with. thank you for your leadership and thank you for welcoming me here today. thank you. as president obama's travel, florida, to speak about the economy. this is about a half-hour. >> hello it is my hope that that will be able to happen as procedures are put in place by both countries in order to empower that. mr. secretary general, it is a privilege to be here in this institution, which dedicates itself day to day to ending violence, to enforcing people's prospects for peace, and to try to live by a code of universal values that i think all of us are proud to be affiliated with. thank you for your leadership and thank you for welcoming me here today. thank you. as president obama's travel, florida, to speak about the economy. this is about a half-hour. >> hello, jacksonville. it is good to be back. ow are you all doing today? you look good. [indiscernible] thank you. give them a big round of applause. [applause] i want to thank mo well america. [applause] i want to thank everybody here for having me today.

i brought along anthony fox. he is here. [applause] got wonderful congresswoman maureen brown here. and i would like to recognize the folks from the port for showing me the cranes you've got that at the terminal. those are big cranes. [laughter] this is serious business here. >> yes, sir. >> just watching what was going on down here and knowing what is is a reminder is a reminder ofl the potential we've got in this country to put folks to work and rebuild america and make sure everybody has got a fair shot.

in illinois, i talked about what we need to do as a country to build a better bargain for the middle class. everybody who is trying to get into the middle class. gotstrategy that we have to pursue together to make sure that everybody who works hard has a chance to get ahead in this 21st-century economy. for decades, a growing middle is what made us great. you knew yourrd, work was going to be rewarded. with fair wages, good benefits, a chance to buy a home, save for all ament, and most of chance to pass down a better life to your kids. that is the american dream. eventually, that engine of prosperity began to stall.

sometechnology that makes .obs opera -- obsolete globalization, which meant some jobs got shipped overseas. and partlyweaker because of some of the laws we have passed. for most of the last decade, people were working harder and harder just to get by. then you have the devastating recession. what happened in the financial markets clear that cost millions of americans their jobs and homes and savings and it laid bare for everybody to see the steady erosion of middle-class security that has been happening for almost a generation. after nearly is five years since the financial to thehappened, thanks hard work and resilience of the american people, america has fought back.

together, we saved and auto industry. i was told the terminal i was at was one of the places where we are sending out more american cars than ever before all around the world. [applause] we took on a broken health care system. americaned in new technology to reverse our addiction to foreign oil. we doubled our production of green energy and put in place tough new rules on the big banks and the mortgage lenders and credit card companies to make sure we did not have the same kinds of financial shenanigans we have seen before. we changed the tax code eared it was too skewed in favor of the wealthy. we made sure it was doing more for middle-class and working- class families. we locked in tax cuts for 90% of america america, then we asked folks at the top to pay a little bit more. up and over the

last 40 months, our businesses have created 7.2 million new jobs. [applause] 7.2. this year, we are off to our strongest private sector job growth since 1999. in over ajob growth decade. , we sell more products made in america to the rest of the world than ever before. our exports have surged. we produce more natural gas than any country on earth. more ofbout to produce our own oil than we buy overseas. that is the first time that happened in nearly 20 years. [applause] is cost of healthcare growing at its slowest rate in areears, and our deficits

falling in the fastest rates in 60 years. we have got health care costs starting to slow down, deficits jobs up, exports up, energy production up, we've fromed away the rubble the financial crisis thanks to the grid and resilience of the american people. we've begun to lay a new , moretion for stronger durable, more sustainable economic road. with the revolutions coming in energy, technology, manufacturing, and healthcare, to be able to finally reverse some of the forces that were hurting middle- class families for so long. ancan start rebuilding economy where everybody who

works hard can get ahead. that is our goal. [applause] i am here to tell you today what you already know. we are not there yet. in a lot of ways an , they have been -- those trends have been building for decades, where a few folks are doing better and better at the top and everybody has been treading water. those trends are made worse by the recession. reversing those trends should be washington's highest priority. it is my highest priority. the pasttely, over couple of years in particular, washington has not just ignore the problem. a lot of times, it has made things worse. and sometimes when you are on the outside, you look and it sounds like a bunch of toys and you do not know what is going on between democrats and republicans. my attitude is we are all and no party has

a monopoly on ideas. there are a number of republican out there who mean well and they are not willing to say so always because they might get in trouble. but right now, we have seen a group of republicans in the house in particular who suggest they would not vote to pay for the very bills that congress has already racked up here that harmed our recovery in 2011. it would severely harm it again and plunge us back into a financial crisis. six months, the gridlock has gotten worse. there are a number of republican senators trying to get things done. they passed a strong immigration ill economist say will boost our profits but we have not been able to get house republicans to give it a vote. if you ask some of the same folks about how they would strengthen the middle class, they will tell you, out-of- control government spending is a problem. despite the fact that, as a

share of the economy, we have cut the deficit by nearly half since i took office. or, they will say, obamacare is the problem. we are trying to give health insurance to millions of americans who do not have it. our businessesu, created jobs at nearly twice the whenof the last recovery, there was no obamacare. it is hard to figure how obamacare is the problem, giving people health insurance. of americansons now have new benefits come -- benefits, so they do not think it is a problem. [applause] with an endless distraction of

political posturing and phony ,candals, and lord knows what washington keeps taking its eye off the ball. that needs to stop. we've got a stop with the short term thinking the outdated debates. a focus on the core economic issues that matter to you, that metal to middle-class americans, all those who are trying to get in, that is what this moment requires. we have got to stay focused on how to build an economy that works for everybody. that is my focus. [applause] as washington prepares to enter another budget debate, the stakes could not be higher. at a time when we need to make investments that create jobs and strengthen the middle class and grow our economy, because we

have competition coming from all we've got somed, of the house republicans who put forward a budget that does just the opposite. they are pushing bills that would cut education, cut science, cut research, prevent us from meeting these priorities. we should be doubling down on american clean energy technology. trading jobs, lowering dangers -- dangerous pollution. they want to give tax benefits to big oil companies. when other countries win the race for the jobs of the future. that does not make sense. of helping hard-working students afford a college degree that the jobs of tomorrow increasingly demand, they want that would help students pay tuition payments. instead of giving more families the security of decent health care, want insurance companies to reinstate lifetime dollar

limits. and shock people from their plans. necessaryot make the investments to ensure america is a magnet for good jobs, manufacturing, research, and information networks, we are just waving the white flag of surrender to other -- other countries as they move forward. that kind of attitude is saying, there is nothing we can do to .elp families win and grow that is a bad bargain for the middle class. that is why i came down today. i want you involved in the debate. the next several weeks, in cities and towns just like this, i will lay out my ideas for how we build on the cornerstones of what it means to be middle class in america, what it takes to work your way to the middle- class in america, and what we can do to help families. not help special interests, but help

special families. families. by the way, what we need is not a three-month lan or a three- year plan. we have got to have a long-term plan based on steady, persistent efforts to reverse the forces conspiring against middle-class families. that is why i -- what i am pushing for. , there are democrats and republicans who understand what is at day. i will welcome ideas from anybody across the political spectrum. inill not let gridlock and action and in difference for the plight of families to get in the way of this country. where i can act on my own, i will. i will not wait for congress. [applause] the choices we make right now will determine whether or not every american will have a

fighting chance in the 21st century. we know what those cornerstones of real middle-class security are. a good job with good wages. a good education. a home you can call your own. affordable health is there for you when you get sick. a secure retirement, even if you are not rich. more chances for folks to run away in the middle class as long as they are willing to work hard for it. to specifically talk about the cornerstone, the essence of middle-class security. that is a good job in growth industries. we have got to bring more jobs to america. we've got to keep creating good , we've manufacturing got to create good jobs in wind and solar energy. we've got to tap into the natural gas revolution that is bringing energy costs down in this country which means manufacturers want to locate

horrible,se we've got reliable supplies of energy. we've got to create more jobs today doing what you're doing right here, building this country's future. [applause] we need modern schools for our kids. grids anddern power fuel networks that can withstand stronger storms. we can modern ports so move more goods made in america out to the rest of the world. [applause] if you want to create jobs right but also jobs that will have impact for years, here is the way to do it. we know strong infrastructure is a key ingredient to a driving economy.

how the united states became the best place in the world to do business. unfortunately, over the past two years, too many folks in washington have been cutting these investments. the world cannot wait for congress to get its act together. an example.you many of you are familiar with this. in a couple of years, new supertankers will come through the panama now. those supertankers can hold three times the amount of cargo. we want those supertankers coming here to jacksonville. [applause] if we got more supertankers coming here, that means more jobs at the terminals. warehouse is in the surrounding areas. that means more contractors are

getting jobs setting up those warehouses. they've got more money to spend at the restaurant. the waitress has more money to spend to buy her ipod. it starts working for everybody. if we want our workers and businesses to compete, then our ports have to be ready to receive those supertankers, otherwise they will go to brazil or some other place. that is why last year, i acted without congress and i took executive action to speed up the process that gets workers breaking ground on products like -- projects like this one. [applause] then private companies came on board here. they thought it was a good investment. we are building the same kinds

of partnerships across the country, especially at some of ande golf ports, savanna, now these ports are on track to become better prepared for those supertankers and cargo loads ahead of schedule. but we have now got to keep at it. the businesses of tomorrow will .ot locate near outdated ports they will go to places where the ports are good, the roads are goods, the rail lines are good, high-speed internet, schools, air traffic, and auto traffic faster. think about it in terms of your own house -- old house. andou've got a leaky roof, you have not done the -- and the boiler is getting old, you can say to yourself, i will save money by not fixing my roof,

and i will save money by not getting a new boiler, and i will not worry about that. , two years later, five years down the road, what happens? the house starts breaking down and you end up spending more money. wecan't defer things we know will have to do. we are putting people to work now doing it. but that is what we are doing right now. investing less in rebuilding america than we did two decades ago. we're spending less on fixing our infrastructure than china is, then germany is, and all our competitors, they know we have got to take care of this stuff we are lagging behind. , right now, it is

cheaper to build than it has been since the 1950 pockets. you've got a whole bunch of construction workers looking for work right now. you've got a whole bunch of contractors who will come in with low bids and they will come in on time. now is the time for us to do it. the longernow is the time for u. the longer we put this off, the more expensive it will be. the less competitive we will be. so why are we doing it? part of it is just politics right now. we've gotg sure world-class infrastructure, that should not be a partisan issue. american issue. it is not a republican or democratic issue. but this year's budget cuts have delayed to important projects right here in jacksonville that would carry more people into downtown, alleviate congestion at the same time, and put more floridians back to work.

we can do better than that. there is a bipartisan bill in the senate to find critical improvements in our highways, transit, and railroad systems. the house should act quickly on that bill. let's get more americans back on the job, doing more work america needs done. i will be good for middle-class security,middle-class home ownership, education, and that is the smart thing to do. get past politics and do it. [applause] this is not a by part -- a partisan issue. a president named abraham lincoln. he had a whole lot of things to worry about. .ad a civil war

you areiddle of that, still thinking about how to build the transcontinental railroad, how would we widen our canals and our ports so we can move products all around the country and eventually the world? so our workerst are now skilled and can get those new jobs? we will invest in the national science foundation to make sure we stay ahead of everybody else when it comes to technology. we made those investments. the first republican president did not say, well, that is not the job of government to help do that. would not have understood

of philosophy. he understood there are some things we can only do together. rebuilding our infrastructure is one of them. creating more good jobs, a better bargain for the middle class, helping folks who work for the middle-class,, an economy that grows from the middle out, this is not what i will be focusing on for the next few months. this is what i will be focusing on for all the days i've got left in my presidency. 1256 days left. 1256 days left. [applause] so, over the next several weeks, we will roll out these plans, take of philosophy. he understood there are some things we can only do together. rebuilding our infrastructure is one of them. creating more good jobs, a better bargain for the middle class, helping folks who work for the middle-class,, an economy that grows from the middle out, this is not what i

will be focusing on for the next few months. this is what i will be focusing on for all the days i've got left in my presidency. 1256 days left. 1256 days left. [applause] so, over the next several weeks, we will roll out these plans, take them across the country, ask and not just congress to do something, but we will ask everybody for help, ceo's is, workers, college presidents, students, democrats, immature and yes,dependence, republicans feared i am laying out my ideas to give the middle class a better shot. if the republicans do not agree with me, i want them to lay out their ideas. better plan toa create jobs and rebuild our infrastructure and make sure we've got great ports all along the gulf, let me know what your ideas are. i'm listening. if they've got better ideas to make sure every american knows the security of affordable healthcare, share it with the country. /in ourng obamacare and budgets in education and research and infrastructure, that is not an economic plan. there is no economist who would look at that and say, that is the way we will help middle- class families. we're really going to grow doing that that. shutting down the government just because i am for keeping it open, that is not an economic land. threatening that you will not pay the bills in this country when we have already racked up those bills, that is not an economic plan. that is being a deadbeat. [laughter] [applause]

so put out some plans. i do not claim to have a monopoly on every good idea. [laughter] i don't. steal good ideas from anybody. i just want to make things work. hard sometimes. if we are willing to take a few bold steps, if washington will just shake off its complacency and set aside this constant gridlock and my way or the highway attitude, our economy will be better a year from now. and it will be better five years from now, and 10 years from now, and i will spend every single , as long asery day i have the privilege of this office, making sure i am doing

everything in my power to make this economy work for working americans again, to build a better a middle-class and make sure the american dream is something wise and real and conceivable for decades to come. that is what i'm fighting for, florida. that is what i need you for, florida. let's make it happen. god bless you and god bless the united states of america. [applause] ♪

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♪ lex tonight, the senate foreign relations committee looks at u.s. aid to egypt. then, the confirmation hearing for the homeland security deputy. on the debtsions ceiling. the senate foreign relations committee held a hearing on egypt where the military has andd -- has ousted mom morsi. experts and diplomats talk about u.s. aid to the military and the consequences of cutting off that assistance. this